Health News.

There are various ways of determining whether you are overweight—none of which are perfect. One of the easiest ways is to compare your weight with the recommended weight on the table from “Dietary Guidelines for Americans.” This table and others like it have been developed based on observations of what weights correspond to the longest life spans in general. However, you must be realistic. If you have never in your adult life weighed what the table shows, the table may not be useful as a realistic goal for you.No height-weight table can take into account individual variations in proportions of fat and lean tissue or the distribution of fat in the body. For example, a weight lifter may be overweight according to the height-weight table, and yet have a very low proportion of body. Men normally have a larger proportion of lean muscle and a smaller proportion of body fat than women. Conversely, an individual may not be overweight according to the tables but may have a low  proportion of muscle and a high proportion of body fat.Some overweight people have most of their excess fat deposited in their abdomens, whereas others have it deposited more in their hips and thighs. These variations may make a difference in cardiovascular risk. People shaped like apples (bigger through the abdomen and smaller in the hips and thighs—the typical male pattern of fat distribution, called truncal obesity) have a higher risk than people shaped like pears (fairly thin in the upper belly with fat accumulated in the hips and thighs—the typical female pattern of fat distribution, called gynecoid distribution). Calculating the ratio of your waist circumference to your hip circumference (divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement) can help estimate your risk. A ratio of less than 0.80 is desirable for women, and a ratio of less than 1.0 is desirable for men.*263\252\8*

read comments (0)

Temporal Arteritis. Temporal arteritis is also called cranial arteritis or giant cell arteritis. People who have temporal arteritis are almost always older than 55. It is twice as common in women as in men. In this disease, the inflammation may involve one or both temporal arteries on the side of the head. Headache and a tender, red, inflamed artery in the temple are clues to the diagnosis, which can be verified by removing a tiny sample (biopsy) of the affected artery. Treatment with corticosteroids controls this disease and prevents complications such as blindness.Buerger’s Disease. One particularly severe form of vessel inflammation is thromboangiitis obliterans, also called Buerger’s disease. In this disease, inflammation obliterates small and medium-sized arteries. It occurs most commonly in men younger than 30 years who use tobacco. Redness and tenderness of superficial vejns of the feet or legs and pain in the arch of the foot or calf when walking suggest Buerger’s disease.Progression of Buerger’s disease can be thwarted by abstaining from tobacco use. People in whom the disease continues are usually those who continue to smoke.Polyarteritis Nodosa.  As the name suggests,   polyarteritis  involves  inflammation (itis) of many (poly) arteries. The areas at greatest risk are the skin, intestines, kidney, and heart, although any area of the body can suffer. Symptoms are often vague: unexplained weight loss, progressive fatigue,   weakness,   and  fever.   The diagnosis is confirmed by removing a tiny sample (biopsy) of the involved part of the body for microscopic evaluation of the arteries. Treatment is a prolonged course of corticosteroids, often supplemented by other medications.*201\252\8*

read comments (0)

Total fat intake is not specified in any recommendations for diabetics. However, guidelines for reducing cardiovascular risk are emphasized. If dietary protein contributes 10% to 15% of total calories, 80% to 90% remains to be distributed between dietary carbohydrate and fat. Less than 10% of calorie intake should be from saturated fats, and daily cholesterol intake should be limited to 300 mg or less. Up to 10% of calories can be from polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs). This leaves 60% to 70% of the calories from monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) and carbohydrates.
The recommended calories from fat depend on desired blood glucose and lipid levels and weight outcomes. The general recommendation is to limit total dietary fat to 30% or less of total calories, with emphasis on reduction in saturated fat to decrease the risk for developing heart disease. This recommendation continues to apply to people with diabetes, who have normal lipid levels and a reasonable body weight. However, if obesity and weight loss are the primary issues, a reduction in dietary fat to reduce caloric intake and weight, combined with increased physical activity, should be considered.
If elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is the primary problem, the National Cholesterol Education Programme (NCEP) Step II dietary guidelines (7% of total calories from saturated fat, <30% of calories from total fat and 200 mg/day of dietary cholesterol) should be implemented.
If elevated triglycerides and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol are the primary concerns, a moderate increase in monounsaturated fat intake, with less than 10% of calories from saturated fats and a more moderate intake of carbohydrates, may be implemented. Clinical studies have shown that a diet with increased monounsaturated fats can lower plasma triglycerides, glucose and insulin levels more than a high-carbohydrate diet in some individuals.
*5/356/5*

read comments (0)

Firstly, decide positively that you want to quit.
Be confident about your ability to stop. You have more will power than you
List all the reasons why you want to quit. Keep the list where you will see if often, e.g., on your mirror or the dashboard of your car. Every night before going to bed, remind yourself of all these reasons. Find a partner whom you can talk to during the time you are trying to quit. It is often helpful to ask a friend who has successfully quit to guide your efforts. It is best if you can find a friend whom you can convince to quit with you.
Set a target date for quitting – this date should be 1-2 weeks from today, perhaps a special day like your birthday, your anniversary or a holiday. If you smoke heavily at work, quit during your vacation. Make the date sacred and don’t let anything change it. Bet a friend that you can quit on your target date.
*88\254\8*

read comments (0)